Struggling Premier League outfit Aston Villa have reported a pre-tax loss of £27m for the year ending May 31, 2015.

New accounts were revealed today that also showed that the Birmingham club reduced their debt from £102m to £30.6m.

However, the team's operating expenses rose by more than £17m to £139.4m. The biggest item was staff costs at the club, including player wages, which rose to £83.8m from £69.3m in 2013-14.

Villa finished 17th in the Premier League last season and the annual report labelled it their "worst performance since the creation of the league in 1992".

Remi Garde's side host second-placed Spurs in their next Premier League game on Sunday now nine points from safety and likely to be relegated from the top flight for the first time in 29 years.